Gyanvapi mosque: Varanasi court to decide on making ASI report public on Jan 24

Varanasi: A decision on whether the sealed report of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), on the Gyanvapi mosque complex should be made public, will be announced on January 24. A Varanasi court on Saturday fixed the January 24 date to decide whether the copies of the sealed ASI report should be provided to both the parties.

According to news agency PTI, District Judge AK Vishvesh fixed the date to decide on the issues on Saturday.

Madan Mohan Yadav, counsel for the Hindu side, said that the Hindu and Muslim sides and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) were present in the court. The court said it will decide the issue after the hearing in the matter before the Civil Judge of the senior division fast track court takes place.

The fast track court is scheduled to take up the matter on January 19.

Earlier, the Archaeological Survey of India presented a survey report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex to the district court of Varanasi in a sealed cover. During the submission of the report, four high-ranking ASI officials were in attendance in court.

The ASI received several extensions to finalize the survey.

The ASI conducted a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex, situated adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. The objective was to ascertain whether the mosque was built atop the remains of a pre-existing Hindu temple structure. This survey was initiated in response to the district court's directive on July 21, instructing an examination beneath the mosque's domes, cellars, and the western wall.